Counterbalance for stage lights



Sept. 30', 1924. 1,510,399

1 A. HAUCK COUNTERBALANCB FOR STAGE LIGHTS Filed June 4. 1924 l 1 [Q00000OOOOO0O00,00000000000000] Fatented Sept. 30, 1924.

ALOIS HAUCK, 0F

VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

counrsnrataivon FOR STAGE LIGHTS.

Application filed June 4:,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoIs T-IAUCK, a citizen of the Republic of Austria,residing at Vienna, Austria, have inyented certain new and usefulImprovements in a counterbalance for Stage Lights, of which the followinis a specification.

The presentinvention relates to a receptacle, for collecting a flexiblemember, for

instance a cable, and to means for compensating or balancing the varyingweight of the receptacle caused by the varying length of the flexiblemember deposited therein.

F or lighting members which are adapted to be raised and lowered,particularly stage border lights, it is necessary to prevent thecurrent-carrying cable from sagging in the shape of a loop underneaththe lighting member when the latter is raised.

The present invention has for its object to provide an arrangement whichpermits the lighting member being raised from the stage to a point veryclose to the rigging loft or pulley support or holder, without danger ofthe current carrying cable extending below the illumination or lightingmember in the shape of a loop.

One mode of carrying out the present invention is illustrated by way ofexample on the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1illustrates diagrammatically a light cable receptacle according to thepresent invention, and

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the receptacle on a light supportingmember.

Referring to the drawing in detail the receptacle 1, which serves forthe collection or reception of the slack portion of the current carryingcable 1 and is provided with a roof-like or saddle-shaped bottom a, issecured in any desired manner to the lighting member 2. The cable at,which is connected to the lighting member 2 in the usual manner, entersinto the receptacle 1 from underneath and preferably through the ridgeor top of its roof-like or saddle-shaped bottom to which it is secured,so that from the very beginning the cable has the tendency to arrangeitself at the left or right hand sides of the ridge or top of thereceptacle when the lighting member 2 is pulled up, and thus owing tothe inclined surfaces of the receptacle the cable is deposited in thelatter in the shape of piled up or superposed windings.

1924. Serial No. 717,905.

In most cases the border lights or lighting members 2 of stages arebalanced by a counterweight or balance weight 7 in such a manner, thatthe suspension ropes 3 pass from the member to pulleys 5, secured to apulley support 11, and subsequently in a horizontal direction to apulley 6, from which they again pass downwardly and are attached to thebalance weight 7. In case it is intended ,to raise or lower the lightingmember 2, the balance weight is moved up or down by hand as only thefrictional resistances and the stiffness of the ropes have to beovercome for which the force of a man is suflicient in most cases.However owing to the arrangement of the receptacle, the lighting memberwill be more and more loaded or weighted by the increasing length of thecable being deposited therein while the lighting member is movedupwardly. Owing to the considerable weight of the cable it isinconvenient for one man to operate by hand the arrangement in thehigher positions. Therefore it is necessary to provide for the properbalancing of weight.

Now it is a question to determine the proportion between the weight ofthe cable 4 and the weight of the suspension ropes 3, in order toprovide a fully satisfactory balancing action.

A complete balancing at any height between the weight of the lightingmember loaded or weighted with the cable and the counterweight will beobtained, if the sum of the weights per yard of all suspension ropes isequal to half the weight of the cable per yard.

However when calculating the strength of the suspension ropes 3 suchsmall dimensions may result, that the sum of their weights per yard maynot be equal to half the weight of the cable per yard, and ropes ofathickness which satisfy the condition of the equation above mentionedmay not be advisable for certain reasons, for instance for the reason ofeconomy. Thus in case the weights of the suspension ropes are too smallfor any reason, a balancing or compensating rope 8 may be resorted to,which may consist of an inferior material (for instance a hemp-rope), asit has nothing to carry. This balancing or compensating rope has to beof such a weight, that it supplement-s the missing weight of thesuspension ropes 3 to the weight necessary for the balancing of theweight. One end of EPA roof-like or saddle-shaped bottom renders itpossible that, during the relative movement between the pocket-likemember and the flexible member, the latter is deposited automatically inloops in the said member.

I I claim V In combinatioma vertically movable member, suspensionmembers connected at one end to the vertically movable member, guidingmeans for the suspension members, a counter-balance connected with theop 0- site ends of the suspension members, a ca le 20 connected with thevertically movable memher, and a receptacle carriedby the verticallymovable member having a centrally raised portion and adapted during theupward movement of the vertically movable member to cause the cable toarrange itself within the receptacle, the weight of the cable lengthdeposited in the receptacle at the time and varying in accordance withthe height of the vertically movable member being accurately balanced atany height by a correct proportion between the weight per unit length ofthe suspension members and the weight per unit length of the cable.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

, V ALOIS HAUoK.

Witnesses CARL SONDENBURG, Gr. KAY.

